Voice

In anticipation of the re-introduction of the equal employment ordinance in January, we wanted to provide a place for members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community to share their stories of discrimination. So we have created a web site to collect these stories. We recognize that there is currently not a safe place to share these stories, so this is our effort to provide one.

Share your story and read others’ stories here.

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Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle announced several upcoming openings on City of Omaha Boards and Commissions.  We view these as important opportunities and encourage you to consider how serving could shape the future of Omaha.

The following boards have current opportunities however, you can review all boards and commissions to find one that fits your interests and skillsets.   If you want detailed information, you can view the detailed listing for each board.

- Parks and Recreation Board
- Transit Authority Board
- Mayor’s Advisory Commission for Citizens with Disabilities
- Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission
- Architects/Engineers Review and Selection Committee
- Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board

Those interested in applying for one of the appointments should contact Barb Velinsky, Mayor Suttle’s Community Director at 402-444-6274 or via e-mail to Barb Velinsky.  Please click the email link and attach your completed application to the email.  We will help ensure your application is routed correctly. 

Applications must be received by February 10, 2012 for these boards.

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Today notable Nebraska musicians, including Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, shared a letter of opposition to Beau McCoy’s proposed Legislative Bill 912. We’re reposting it here in its entirety.

…

January 23, 2012

RE: Legislative Bill 912

Dear Senators,

We are musicians who have chosen to live in the Omaha community. Our work has had national and international media attention, and when we tour around the country and around the world, we want to be proud to say that we’ve come from Omaha, Nebraska. It’s extremely important to us that the policies of our community reflect our values.

We were excited to learn that Councilman Ben Gray was going to put forth a citywide ordinance that would ensure equal employment opportunity for all, including our LGBT community.  Progressive cities attract eager newcomers, both young professionals and artists, which in turn creates growth and economic prosperity.  We firmly believe that Omaha is a vibrant city and can continue to be a top US destination for business and the arts, but only if we provide the same protections that other major cities do for every one of their citizens.

Senator Beau McCoy has recently proposed a legislative bill (LB 912) that will effectively squash Councilman Gray’s Equal Employment Ordinance before the City Council of Omaha will even have the chance to vote on it.  We find this deplorable and unacceptable. LB 912 will send the message to the world that Nebraska is not forward thinking or welcoming, which would be detrimental to our community’s current momentum and future growth.

A lot of the recent national press surrounding Omaha has revolved around the strength of our burgeoning art scene and the economic growth that has resulted from it.  Passage of LB 912 will likely cause the attrition of some of our community’s best and brightest; it will certainly deter outsiders from exploring opportunities in Omaha.

We want to continue to be proud of our community and keep our creative class and entrepreneurial spirit strong.  Please don’t let LB 912 move forward and let the state of Nebraska block the City of Omaha’s attempt to do the right thing and create equal opportunity for everyone.

Signed,

Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)
Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds)
Orenda Fink (Azure Ray, O+S)
Todd Fink (The Faint, Depressed Buttons)
Clark Baechle (The Faint, Depressed Buttons)
Jacob Thiele (The Faint, Depressed Buttons)
Nik Fackler (Icky Blossoms & feature film director of Lovely, Still)
Dan McCarthy (McCarthy Trenching, So So Sailors)
Stefanie Drootin Senseney (The Good Life, Big Harp & founder of Omaha Girls Rock)
Chris Senseney (Big Harp, Baby Walrus)
Benjamin Brodin (Before the Toast & Tea, producer & recording engineer at ARC studios)
Rachel Tomlinson Dick (Honeybee & Hers)
A.J. Mogis (Criteria, producer & recording engineer at ARC studios)
Melissa Amstutz (Honeybee & Hers)
Roger L. Lewis (Conduits, The Good Life, & Neva Dinova)
Jenna Morrison (Conduits, Son Ambulance)
Mike Dappen aka Dapose  (The Faint, Vverevvolf Grehv)

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“Another fight over legal protection for gays”

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Right now, as you read, your Nebraska Legislature is deliberating over LB239 – a legislative bill that would require the presentation of government-issued photographic identification to vote in elections. This is a BAD idea. Not only would it be an expensive measure (in the midst of recession), it would likely prevent thousands of Nebraskans – many from vulnerable populations – from exercising their most basic democratic right.

Read: VOICE’s & NCR’s op-ed in today’s OWH

Learn More: Get a fact sheet about how LB239 suppresses the vote

Act: Sign the online petition opposing LB239

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Yesterday, State Senator Beau McCoy introduced Legislative Bill 912. The bill would essentially take away Nebraska cities’ right to introduce ordinances different from the state’s current anti-discrimination policy which does not recognize the LGBT community as a protected class. The local Equal Employment Ordinance cannot move forward until the state bill is resolved.

Make no mistake about it; this bill is in direct response to the successful efforts in Omaha to create a fair and equal work environment.

We must move quickly to put an end to the bill before it goes to the floor of the legislature. So what can you do? Visit equalnebraska.org and find out which state senators to contact.

Tell them not to intrude on a city’s right to decide for itself what is right for its citizens. Tell them that you support local control and do not wish for the state legislature to interfere with our ongoing efforts to make Omaha a fair and equal place to live and work!

Stay tuned. We still need to show the Omaha City Council our support for the Equal Omaha Ordinance, but we must put an end to the state bill first.

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The Business Ethics Alliance, a consortium of organizations that are committed to creating an ethical business climate that benefits the overall community, is holding another dialogue in its “Business Ethics Mind Candy” series. The discussion will, in part, consider the ethics of considering a person’s sexual orientation when hiring.

The timing is critical as we are preparing for Ben Gray to introduce the Equal Employment Ordinance a few days beforehand. You might recognize one of the panelists as representing an entity that lobbied against a similar ordinance in 2010. Please consider attending to listen to the discussion and respectfully and thoughtfully offer your perspective during the Q&A portion. Please note, registration is required.

Here are the details:

When: January 26, 2012 from 7:30 to 8:45am (complimentary continental breakfast opens at 7:15am)
Where: Gallup, 1001 Gallup Drive

Panelists:

> Tawanna Black, CEO, Innovations by Design
> David Brown, President and CEO, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce
> Dean Hodges, Owner of local Jimmy Johns

The blurb from the Business Ethics Alliance:

Jobs! Who gets them and why? How is the hiring process informed by our values? Does ethics come into play when small, medium and large firms make hiring decisions? Do they consider a person’s veteran status? Or sexual orientation? Is it ethical to avoid hiring people who lost their jobs or those out of work for a year or two? Let’s talk about it.

Join panelists, local business professionals and moderator Beverly Kracher, Executive Director, Business Ethics Alliance; Daugherty Chair in Business Ethics & Society, Creighton University College of Business, for a thought-provoking discussion on the ethics of hiring. Come prepared to share and learn.

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Check out today’s OWH article “Imagining the Future for Metro Counties“… which Metro scenario do you prefer?…

“[In 2050] Downtown Omaha remains a vital center of commerce and the arts. Central High School still graduates future leaders, part of a local school network that educates 400,000 students, most of whom end up working in the area. A series of urban centers dot the landscape, following the template set 40 years earlier by Midtown Crossing and Aksarben Village.

The suburbs are still a choice, but denser urban living, Omaha-style, has developed a certain cachet that keeps attracting young families.

Or . . .

The metro area embraces the auto, spreads out with quarter-acre residential lots that eat up farmland on both sides of the Missouri River. Cross-country travelers and commuters take the outer-ring freeway, which touches Plattsmouth, Waterloo, Blair and Treynor, Iowa, as it skirts the leapfrogging suburbs.

The old City of Omaha annexed everything in Douglas County in the 2030s, and now the aging downtown and the public schools struggle with a declining tax base and urban blight. Bus service evaporated in the 2020s, when government subsidies ended and fares got too high. Huge sections of the 300-square-mile urban area — more than double the old Omaha city limits — would be too remote for mass transit anyway.”

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Did you know that you can be fired for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender in Omaha? Employees are not protected from discrimination based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Join us for happy hour to hear Councilmember Ben Gray talk about re-introducing the ordinance in January and how you can help make Omaha a place where workplace decisions are based solely on merit and not who you love.

House of Loom
Tuesday, November 29th
5:00pm – 7:00pm

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